Tuesday, November 08, 2005

Drudge claims GOP congressional leaders are going to investigate the leak that resulted in story by The Washington Post's Dana Priest alleging a network of secret U.S. prisons for holding terrorists around the world.

Sounds like Bush and the GOPers have finally decided to fight back against the "Bush Lied/Kids Died" attack meme of the Democrats and their allies in the mainstream media. This could mean a viciously partisan rhetorical and political war the likes of which has not been seen in this country since the pre-Civil War era.

UPDATE: 5:08 p.m.

Over on the Blogosphere's Left side, Daily Kos is quoting Sen. Trent Lott, R-MS, claiming a colleague on the GOP side of the Senate is the likely source of the leak to the Post. That makes DK happy, of course, because he thinks it signifies that "we are, folks, witnessing the full-on implosion of the national Republican Party. And not a second too soon."

A bit of over-statement. Sounds more like a little pay-back from a former Senate Majority Leader who clearly still has bitterness about the circumstances that produced the past-tense title.

But whatever Lott's motivation, Eschaton is laughing at the Republicans.

And on the Right side of the Blogosphere, John Cole at Balloon Juice has a different view - the Left demanded the Plamegate indictment and now the question must be asked: Will sources be chilled by the prospect of being "outed" if they leak?

"This is what Joe Wilson and the Democrats and all the major newspaper editorial boards that called for an investigation into the leak of Valerie Plame's identity have wrought — a crackdown on classified information leaked to the press, akin to a de facto Official Secrets Act."

My view? The ultimate tragedy of the Democrats putting satisfaction of their Bush hatred ahead of protecting confidential media sources is that a crackdown on leaks of classified information will clear the way for consideration of an American version of the Brits' pernicious Official Secrets Act.

About Me

Follower of Christ, devoted husband of Claudia, doting father of Marcus and Ginny, conservative lover of liberty, journalist, Formula Ford racer, Okie by birth/Texan by blood/proud of both, resident of Maryland.